How to Cook a Ribeye Steak
by Chungah
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
Why go to a steakhouse when you can make the most perfect ribeye right at home? Pan seared with the best garlicky herb butter!
Featured Comment
reasons to make a ribeye steak at home
- Restaurant-quality steak. Skip the expensive steakhouse! Date night and family dinners just got so easy and cheaper here. With a few simple tips and tricks (like frequent turning of the steak to get that gorgeous steak crust without overcooking the steak), you’ll have absolutely no problem topping that steakhouse down the street.
- No fuss, no frills. All you need is a few ingredients, a good quality ribeye steak, and a cast iron skillet. No fancy equipment needed here.
- Infused butter says it all. We’re talking foaming warm butter infused with smashed garlic cloves and fresh thyme + rosemary sprigs, the perfect companion for your steak.
Tips and tricks for restaurant-quality steak
- Prep the steak. Let your steak sit out at room temperature for about 20 minutes prior to cooking. This will yield a better crust and an even cook from edge to center. Then pat the steak completely dry with paper towels to remove any surface moisture (moisture equals steam).
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are key here for the infused butter, delivering the best kind of flavor for your steak.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature of the steak should reach 130-135°F for medium rare. The meat will still continue to cook once removed from heat so we recommend cooking 5–10°F below your desired doneness, about 120-125°F for medium rare.
- Let your meat rest. Let your steak rest for at least 15 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
How to choose a good-quality steak
Marbling is key.
Prioritize high marbling when choosing a steak, looking for white streaks of fat throughout. The fat will melt when cooked, yielding maximum flavor and juiciness.
Look for bright red meat.
The steak should be firm (not overly moist) and should be bright cherry-red in color. Avoid steaks that are brown or yellow.
Bone-in has more flavor.
Bone-in or boneless can be used, but bone-in steak will yield more tender, juicy meat.
Quality matters.
USDA prime is the best grade of beef for steak, with USDA choice as the next best alternative.
How to Cook a Ribeye Steak: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for about 20 minutes or so. This will allow the steak to cook evenly with a more flavorful crust.
Pat the steak thoroughly dry with paper towels, use oils with high smoke points (ex. canola oil or avocado oil), let it sear undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until a dark crust is formed, flip frequently for a more even crust (without burning), and finish it off with a butter baste.
Use an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the steak.
How to Cook a Ribeye Steak
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (24-ounce) bone-in ribeye steak, about 2-inches thick, at room temperature
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Using paper towels, pat both sides of the steak dry; season generously with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat until very hot, about 1-2 minutes; add canola oil or avocado oil.
- Place the steak in the middle of the skillet and cook, turning every 2-3 minutes, until a dark crust has formed on both sides, about 12-14 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium low. Push steak to one side of the skillet; add butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary to the opposite side of the skillet, tilting the skillet towards the butter and cooking until the butter is foaming, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Working carefully, spoon the butter over the steak for 1-2 minutes, turning over once, until it reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F for medium rare, or until desired doneness. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Chungah, i hope i spelled that correctly. I am so thankful to you for this method. I cooked this ribeye steak for my guests and they were admiring me like crazy.
Steak was great. I gave up beef about 8 years ago, but still crave that steak texture. This was a great simple recipe to remind me of what I’d been missing
Thank you
OMG, this is so good! Simple and delicious! This is how will always cook our ribeyes from now on!
Wow! This was incredible! The flavor was so amazing!
I have a question. Will this recipe have to cooked in a cast iron pan? Or does it matter.
Simple and excellent. I followed directions exactly except I didn’t have fresh herbs and it was still outstanding.
So my steak was really thin and I overcooked it. Make sure to do less cooking time if it’s not 2 inches thick. Other than that, very tasty. The herbs and garlic are always good, and make sure to season with salt well before cooking.
Best steak I’ve ever made! Followed it to the letter. This recipe is a keeper for sure. Mine was no way well done. I guess it depends on how thick your steak is for the other people but I had a 2” thick beauty! Thank you!
Sooo good! Had a big steak but seared for only 8 or 9 min. Otherwise would have been too much. Dried spices and chopped garlic from a jar with the butter. I don’t have a grill so this is perfect. Haven’t had a steak for so long…worth the wait! Next time will heat some onions and mushrooms and mix into the butter mixture. Thanks!
This was sooo good! I let mine cook just a bit longer until it hit recommended temperature (I’m pregnant, so no pink steaks for awhile), and it came out amazing. Wasn’t dry in the least and satisfied the craving I’ve been having for steak for the past weeks. Definitely using this method from now on!
12 to 15 minutes is entirely too long unless you like it super well done.Half of that is plenty. Other than that I like the alternative to grilling.
I don’t own a meat thermometer, if you had to guess how long would you cook it to be medium?
7 mins should have you on brink of medium .. give or take
How do I cook one that’s almost 8 pounds??? My husband is bringing him home from work that’s 7.78 pounds and I do not know how long to cook that or how to adjust The recipe for something that big! Thank you
Um, that’s a roast, not a steak. Whole different procedure.
That’s his problem, not yours 🙂
That is a rib roast. We cut ours into steaks. 1.5 thick. Sometimes it’s cheaper when they are on sale and cut to your thickness.
Delicious
Good and delicious
I made this today and it was absolutely the best. Cooking steak is not my specialty as it often comes out very dry but this recipe produced a juicy and moist steak. The only thing I did differently was let the steak marinate in the salt and pepper for an hour and add the rosemary, thyme, butter and garlic a bit sooner. I wanted the steak to cook longer with those ingredients. Thank you for this delicious recipe as my picky 14 year old son ate his in under five minutes!
I am always afraid to make steak because I tend to overcook it. But this recipe was AMAZING, the only addition I made was to use McCormick Steakhouse seasoning in place of salt & pepper. It was delicious and I will make again, my family already wants this in rotation. Thanks so much for posting the recipe.
Ddelicious definately discribes this steak. Like beef (which I rarely eat) a bit more than medium, so pulled out the meat therometer at 8 minutes & did another flip. After setting the steak aside to rest, added onion slices & steamed asparagus for a light char. Was wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
This was divine. Mine was 600gms. I followed all steps then put in oven like others mentioned for about 15 mins then let it rest for 15 or 20 mins. I didn’t have the herbs. Just the garlic, it’s a good cut of meat anyway but I would have ruined it left to my own devices. It was so tasty and tender. Thanks!
Spot on woman! What a steak, the family adored it! I only turned 4 times, every 2 minutes. Turned out AMAZING!
Like others here, I found that the cooking time was too long. Actually, WAY too long! I actually did 7-8 minutes total rather than the 10-12 recommended. The steak was still overdone, So unless you want a very well done steak, cut the cooking time in half. I will say the result was delicious despite it being overdone, and the butter garlic rosemary thyme sauce is amazing. With a strong red wine— yum!
Amazing! No bone in these but still turned out great. Also, didn’t use the cast iron yet but I know it’s better. Highly recommend. First time making ribeyes and